Patents Assigned to International Business Machines Corporations
  • Patent number: 8244274
    Abstract: A method, system and computer program product for enhancing the acquisition of data from a wireless access point during a window of acquisition. A wireless device in a vehicle obtains a list of wireless access points positioned along a route being traveled by a user of the wireless device. The wireless device acquires its current location and identifies the closest upcoming wireless access point in connection with its current location. If the wireless device had previously had a session with the upcoming wireless access point, then the wireless device continues sending packets to the upcoming wireless access point from the point of previous termination with the upcoming wireless access point until the session is restarted. The wireless device then accesses data from the upcoming wireless access point during the remaining window of acquisition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Travis M. Grigsby, Mark E. Peters
  • Patent number: 8242485
    Abstract: Electronic devices having carbon-based materials and techniques for making contact to carbon-based materials in electronic devices are provided. In one aspect, a device is provided having a carbon-based material; and at least one electrical contact to the carbon-based material comprising a metal silicide, germanide or germanosilicide. The carbon-based material can include graphene or carbon nano-tubes. The device can further include a segregation region, having an impurity, separating the carbon-based material from the metal silicide, germanide or germanosilicide, wherein the impurity has a work function that is different from a work function of the metal silicide, germanide or germanosilicide. A method for fabricating the device is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Josephine B. Chang, Christian Lavoie, Zhen Zhang
  • Patent number: 8244880
    Abstract: The invention provides a method, system, and program product for managing a connection. In particular, the invention manages connection information in memory based on an expected usage of the corresponding connection. Connection information can be stored in faster memory, such as cache memory, when the connection is expected to have numerous additional messages. Similarly, the connection information for a connection not expected to have many additional messages can be swapped out of the cache memory and stored in relatively slower memory. As a result, the connection information that is more frequently used is more likely to be available in a faster memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Marc R. Faucher, Christos J. Georgiou, Ann Marie Rincon
  • Patent number: 8244976
    Abstract: A performance monitor reports SAN performance so that issues within the SAN are not masked from the client. Accesses to the SAN may be grouped into the categories of SAN logical or SAN physical. In one specific embodiment, the ranges of service times for accesses to the SAN are determined by monitoring service times of accesses to the SAN from the client perspective. In another specific embodiment, the ranges of service times for the SAN are determined by the SAN returning data with each request that indicates the service time from the SAN perspective. This allows reporting not only SAN logical and SAN physical accesses, but also allows reporting SAN service time. By specifying SAN service time, the client is able to better determine network delays. In yet another embodiment, information is returned by the SAN to indicate whether the access is SAN logical or SAN physical.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Eric Lawrence Barsness, John Matthew Santosuosso
  • Patent number: 8243900
    Abstract: A method, system and computer instructions for users to visually rearrange telephone call trees are disclosed. A caller can connect to an automated telephone answering service, and download the service's call tree. The caller can view a display with the call tree, and modify or rearrange the order in which the menu options of the call tree are displayed. The user can then store the modified call tree for use in the future.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: David Bruce Kumhyr
  • Patent number: 8245122
    Abstract: A method for determining if a first component can be connected to a second component for inclusion in a processing graph, includes: accessing a first component description, the first component description describing an output object of the first component with a set of tags; accessing a second component description, the second component description describing an input condition of the second component with a set of tags; determining that the first component can be connected to the second component if the set of tags describing the output object includes all tags describing the input condition; and including the first and second connected components in a processing graph if they are connected to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Zhen Liu, Anton V. Riabov
  • Patent number: 8244805
    Abstract: An approach that provides real-time communication integration between a virtual universe and an external source is described. In one embodiment, there is a real-time communication integration interface tool that provides real-time communication integration between a virtual universe and a communication device external to the virtual universe. In this embodiment, there is a communication request component configured to receive a request to initiate a communication between a first resident that is on-line in the virtual universe and a second resident that is logged out of the virtual universe via the communication device. A communication link component is configured to establish a communication link between the virtual universe and the communication device in response to receiving the request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Rick A. Hamilton, II, James R. Kozloski, Brian M. O'Connell, Clifford A. Pickover, Keith R. Walker
  • Patent number: 8245164
    Abstract: Device, system and method of verification of address translation mechanisms. For example, an apparatus for testing an address translation mechanism of a design-under-test, the apparatus including: a test generator to receive a specification of at least one address translation table, and to generate one or more constraint-satisfaction-problem projectors over a plurality of attributes of said address translation table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Yoav Avraham Katz, Anatoly Koyfman, Elena Tsanko
  • Patent number: 8242892
    Abstract: A system, method and program product for communicating a privacy policy associated with a RFID tag. The method includes defining in an tag a first identifier for uniquely identifying the object and a second identifier for uniquely identifying a privacy policy that indicates a proper and intended use and level of protection to be afforded data/information transmitted by the identification tag coupled to the object, associating the second identifier with the first identifier, each of the first identifier and the second identifier being coupled to the identification tag, and responsive to detection of a communication signal received from a receptor, transmitting the first identifier and the second identifier, which includes an accept-reject provision for controlling dissemination and usage of the data/information transmitted by the identification tag, where based on a response received to the accept-reject provision, the data/information is either transmitted or not transmitted to the recipient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Phillip H. Griffin
  • Patent number: 8242593
    Abstract: A substrate via structure for stacked vias in a substrate/chip assembly includes: a center via stack and a plurality of stacked vias clustered around the center via stack. In this structure, the center via and the surrounding vias are made of copper. Some of the surrounding vias may be non-functional vias and these may be of a different height than the functional vias.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Karan Kacker, Douglas O. Powell, David L. Questad, David J. Russell, Sri M. Sri-Jayantha
  • Patent number: 8244924
    Abstract: A computer program product for processing communications between a host processor and a plurality of devices includes a tangible storage medium for performing a method comprising: receiving, by the host processor, physical configuration information including identification of a location of each physical endpoint connected to the host processor and a plurality of communication paths associated with each physical endpoint; sending at least one message to each physical endpoint on each of the plurality of communication paths, the at least one message requesting identification of a logical entity at the endpoint, and receiving logical configuration information identifying the logical entity; and generating a data collection accessible by the host processor, the data collection including the physical configuration information and the logical configuration information for each logical entity, and identification of a location of each physical endpoint connected to the host processor and a plurality of communication
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Tracy D. Butler, Scott B. Compton, Patricia G. Driever, Ilene A. Goldman, Craig D. Norberg, Dale F. Riedy, Matthew H. Sabins, Michael J. Shannon, Harry M. Yudenfriend
  • Patent number: 8245236
    Abstract: The present invention provides a computer implemented method and apparatus to assign software threads to a common virtual processor of a data processing system having multiple virtual processors. A data processing system detects cooperation between a first thread and a second thread with respect to a lock associated with a resource of the data processing system. Responsive to detecting cooperation, the data processing system assigns the first thread to the common virtual processor. The data processing system moves the second thread to the common virtual processor, whereby a sleep time associated with the lock experienced by the first thread and the second thread is reduced below a sleep time experienced prior to the detecting cooperation step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Larry B. Brenner, Dirk Michel, Bret R. Olszewski
  • Patent number: 8243385
    Abstract: A magnetic head in one embodiment includes a first array of writers interleaved with readers; a second array of writers interleaved with readers, the writers of the first array being generally aligned with the writers of the second array in a direction of media travel relative thereto, the readers of the first array being generally aligned with the readers of the second array in a direction of media travel relative thereto; and a third array of writers interleaved with readers, the third array being positioned between the first and second arrays, the writers of the third array being generally aligned with the readers of the first and second arrays in a direction of media travel relative thereto, the readers of the third array being generally aligned with the writers of the first and second arrays in a direction of media travel relative thereto. Other embodiments are also presented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Robert Glenn Biskeborn, Jason Liang
  • Patent number: 8245009
    Abstract: Memory is logically partitioned into two regions. A first region may be a similar size relative to the second region or the first region may be a small subset of the memory. The first region of memory is initialized and an operating system utilizes the first region. A system handler simulates a physical hot add of the second region. After the simulated physical hot add, the operating system may utilize the second region as if it were newly added physical memory and/or may utilize both the first region and second region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Joseph Allen Kirscht, Sumeet Kochar, Barry Alan Kritt, William Bradley Schwartz
  • Patent number: 8244979
    Abstract: A system, method, and program product are provided that identifies a cache set using Translation LookAside Buffer (TLB) attributes. When a virtual address is requested, the method, system, and program product identifies a cache set using buffer attributes. When a virtual address is received, an attempt is made to load the received virtual address from a cache. When the attempt results in a cache miss, a page is identified within a Translation LookAside Buffer that includes the virtual address. A class identifier is then retrieved from the identified page, with the class identifier identifying a cache set that is selected from the cache.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Adam Patrick Burns, Jason Nathaniel Dale, Jonathan James DeMent, Gavin Balfour Meil
  • Patent number: 8244918
    Abstract: An expansion card is provided that allows resources allocated to the expansion card to be shared with a different card. The expansion card comprises a coupling device that couples the expansion card to a data processing system. The expansion card also includes an identifier data structure that when queried by the data processing system, identifies the expansion card as a resource sharing expansion card. The data processing system reallocates one or more resources allocated to the expansion card to a different card coupled to the data processing system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Manish Ahuja, Joel H. Schopp, Michael T. Strosaker
  • Patent number: 8244008
    Abstract: A method for optimizing images, the method comprising, receiving a designation of a first feature of interest, receiving a designation of a second feature of interest, receiving a target image, receiving an atlas image including labels of first and second features of interest of the target image and a first optimization parameter associated with the first feature of interest and a second optimization parameter associated with the second feature of interest, mapping the atlas image onto the target image resulting in a global mapped image, defining an area of the first feature of interest and an area of the second feature of interest, mapping the reference image onto the area of the first feature of interest on the global mapped image using the first optimization parameter, and mapping the reference image onto the area of the second feature of interest on the global mapped image using the second optimization parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Jonathan B. Rohrer, Giridharan R. Iyengar, Leiguang Gong
  • Patent number: 8244828
    Abstract: A Digital Guide System (DGS) assembles and delivers contextual, narrative content information to an end-user requiring a guided or self-guided tour of a physical space. DGS consists of a Content Management System application (CMS), a Channel Administration application (CA), a Content Repository (CR) and a Channel Device application (CDA). CMS allows developers to build content information in discrete narratives using a modular story-building methodology. The CMS stores all information relevant to editorial control and content development in the CR. The CA is a browser-based registration and device management application that delivers content information to devices in channels designated for that content information by the CMS. The CDA allows the user to navigate through the content information using the modular story based organization and collects usage information in a user log for transmittal to the CA.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Stephanie Black Anderson, John A. Blanchard, III, Blaine H. Dolph, Jennifer Martin, John Nathan Tolva
  • Patent number: 8244728
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for data exploration in a data processing system. An apparatus according to an embodiment includes: an analyzing component for analyzing a data model to identify a first and a second data entity and a relationship between the first and the second data entity; a generator component for creating a first and second atom data entity associated with the first and the second data entity; a generator component for creating a link data entity associated with the relationship between the first and second data entity; and an assignor component for assigning a behavior to one of the atom data entities or the link data entity, wherein the atom data entity exhibits a behavior associated with the link data entity and wherein the link data entity exhibits a behavior associated with one of the atom data entities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Geraldine E. Archer, Richard A. Hopkins, Kevin H. Jenkins, Philip D. Tetlow, Christopher C. Winter
  • Patent number: 8245018
    Abstract: An information handling system includes a processor that may perform general purpose register recovery operations after an instruction flush operation that an exception, such as a branch misprediction causes. The processor receives an instruction stream that may include multiple instructions that operate on a particular target register that stores instruction result information. The general purpose register may temporarily store instruction opcode and register bits information for use during dispatch, execution and other operations. The processor includes a recovery buffer unit for use during flush recovery operations. The processor may use recovery valid and recovery pending bits that correspond with each instruction during the register recovery from flush operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Dung Quoc Nguyen